An Inconvenient Truth
by ilovetvalot
Summary: TWOshot! When the green-eyed monster rears its head, can Aaron Hotchner focus on what is truly important and save his relationship. Written for D Claymore!
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: Oh, so many exciting tidbits to share with all of you today! First, who doesn't like a chance to win free stuff? I know I do! And that's what Chit Chat on Author's Corner forum's new "Pay It Forward Review Incentive Program" is ALL about! Reviewers get the chance to win an Amazon Gift Card for themselves AND an author for a story that they review! Cool, huh? Details can be found at the forum thread! Please, check it out! April will have TWO drawings…that's a total of four giftcards up for grabs, folks! This month the thread is focusing on ANY story in which HOTCH is a primary character! It's DEFINITELY worth a look.**_

_**We also have several new threads designed to help readers and authors, alike. Check out the "Morsels for the Muse" thread for some creative inspiration AND our thread called "Facebook Happenings!" to find out what current fun activities are ongoing in that arena! ALSO, we have a wonderful spotlight on Author of the Week, ficdirectory. Pop by and ask a question. She's super excited to hear from you!**_

_**As always, we appreciate everyone that continues to read, review and favorite our stories. It's a pleasure to write for you. Thanks for being so awesome to us!**_

* * *

_**Written for D Claymore!**_

* * *

**An Inconvenient Truth**

**Chapter One**

Aaron Hotchner had always prided himself on being a rational man. It was his trademark. People knew they could count on him to make decisions impersonally, his mind unclouded by emotion. He'd developed the knack for tightly keeping a lid on his feelings at an early age. And most days, he was grateful for that quality of his nature. It benefitted him, both professionally and personally.

Or it had.

Until today.

Today, that particular aspect of his make-up threatened to destroy him with the intensity of an exploding volcano.

And he could happily wring Spencer Reid's scrawny neck for it, he thought grimly, watching as the lean profiler laughed at something Morgan said in the bullpen below.

Pressing his lips together as he watched the easy interaction between the two men downstairs, Aaron silently cursed. Why the hell couldn't he share himself with Spencer so easily, he asked himself, the question almost rhetorical in its intensity.

Of course, he knew the answer, although he was reluctant to admit it aloud. Especially to the younger man that had managed to ensnare him in his web.

See, this is what he'd been diligently trying to evade. Love made a sticky, complicated mess of his life. That's why he'd avoided confronting the feelings he'd experienced over the last year. He'd deliberately kept his fledgling relationship with Reid strictly sexual, fervently hoping to circumvent the tangle of emotions that inevitably followed great sex.

And he'd been successful for awhile.

Oh, hell, he thought grouchily. If he couldn't even delude himself convincingly, there was no way he could pull it off with the younger man.

No, on the contrary, the young genius that he'd been sharing his body with for the last year had finally called his bluff this morning...among other things. The one accusation Reid had made that had rankled the most, however, was being called a coward.

Of course, it only rankled because it was so true.

He was a coward.

He was about to turn and stomp back into his office when he suddenly felt something odd. Raising his head again, he met the bold stare of the man that had been the subject of his darkened thoughts. A flush crept up Aaron's neck as he realized that at that moment, Spencer was more than capable of reading his thoughts. And if the knowing look in the younger man's eyes was any indication, he fully intended on doing more than just keeping that fact to himself.

Unable to take the piercing gaze any more, Aaron turned and moved quickly back into his office. Once he reached the protection of his sanctuary, he firmly closed the door behind him. Perhaps it would be best if he spent the rest of this miserable day behind closed doors.

But his well-laid plans were not to come to fruition. A tap-tap sounded, and Aaron stiffened his shoulders. Only one member of his team made that particular knock.

He could ignore it. He had done that before, his team knowing full well that sometimes he needed to be left alone. But his ever-so-helpful mind chose to remind him that he had just been seen on the balcony. And Spencer Reid was nothing if not determined.

Letting out a muffled curse, Hotch called out gruffly as he doggedly keeping his eyes focused on the open file on his desk, "Come in."

Opening the door and closing it behind him, Dr. Spencer Reid stared across the room at his Unit Chief. "I think we need to talk," he said softly, leaning against the closed door.

"We're at work, Reid," Hotch returned briskly, keeping his eyes glued to the report on his desk, the sheer idiocy of his statement hanging in the air around him.

"It's lunchtime, Aaron," Reid countered evenly, slowly approaching the massive desk on silent feet.

"Not hungry," Aaron muttered, his jaw flexing as he attempted to focus on the words in front of him. "Go eat with Morgan," he couldn't resist sneering, his earlier resolve crumbling quickly.

Eyes widening at the blunt order, Reid shook his head. "You're jealous," he murmured in amazement, the words tinged with disbelief.

"I'm not jealous," Hotch bit out, finally forcing himself to look up at the younger man.

"Aren't you the one that said this morning that we needed to slow things down?" Reid asked with a hint of bitterness, honestly confused by the taciturn man in front of him.

"A lot of things were said this morning," Hotch replied impassively, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the other man's demeanor.

Shifting uneasily on his feet, Reid fidgeted with the cuffs on his shirt. "Yes, there were," he murmured uncomfortably. "I shouldn't have pushed you, Aaron," he admitted reluctantly.

"Reid," Hotch bit out impatiently, refusing to acknowledge the other man's reconciliatory tone, "why are you here?"

"I saw you watching me," Reid answered truthfully. "And I wanted to clear the air between us. This morning I said that we should see other people because I was trying to push you into making a declaration you either don't feel or aren't willing to make. That was a mistake."

Leaning back in his chair, Hotch sighed deeply. "This isn't the place to discuss this, Spencer."

Holding up his hand when he thought Hotch would have spoken, Reid continued undeterred. "Just give me a couple of minutes, Aaron. Because I was hurt, I suggested that we see other people. It's not what I want... what I want is..."

"I know what you want, Spence." Hotch grimaced, his earlier doubts rising to the surface once again. "I just don't know if I can give you what you..."

"Is it so inconvenient for me to love you, Aaron?" Reid asked earnestly, taking another involuntary step toward the desk. "Is it so wrong that I wanted you to tell me you felt something more for me than a physical desire for me? Why are you so afraid?" he asked softly.

"You already answered that question for yourself, didn't you?" Hotch countered grimly, arching an eyebrow as he spoke. "I'm a coward, remember?"


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note: Oh, so many exciting tidbits to share with all of you today! First, who doesn't like a chance to win free stuff? I know I do! And that's what Chit Chat on Author's Corner forum's new "Pay It Forward Review Incentive Program" is ALL about! Reviewers get the chance to win an Amazon Gift Card for themselves AND an author for a story that they review! Cool, huh? Details can be found at the forum thread! Please, check it out! April will have TWO drawings…that's a total of four giftcards up for grabs, folks! This month the thread is focusing on ANY story in which HOTCH is a primary character! It's DEFINITELY worth a look.**_

_**We also have several new threads designed to help readers and authors, alike. Check out the "Morsels for the Muse" thread for some creative inspiration AND our thread called "Facebook Happenings!" to find out what current fun activities are ongoing in that arena! ALSO, we have a wonderful spotlight on Author of the Week, ficdirectory. Pop by and ask a question. She's super excited to hear from you!**_

_**As always, we appreciate everyone that continues to read, review and favorite our stories. It's a pleasure to write for you. Thanks for being so awesome to us!**_

**An Inconvenient Truth**

**Chapter Two**

"I knew that was the insult that sent you storming out of the house this morning," Reid mumbled, mostly to himself. He'd regretted that allegation the moment it had left his lips. Partly because it was unfair and mostly because it was untrue. The one thing he knew about the impossibly private man in front of him was that he was no coward. "I had no right to say that. Nothing could be further from the truth, Aaron. You've got more courage in your little finger than I have in my entire body."

"Spencer..."

"I would have said that this morning," Reid babbled, forging ahead with an audacity that he hadn't know he possessed, "except, first, there was that slightly homicidal glint in your eye..."

"Spenc-..."

"and then there was my own anger to contend with..."

"Reid..."

"...but mostly it was my desperation that made me push a button I knew you'd respond to. It was stupid and juvenile and..."

"DR. REID!" Hotch finally shouted above the younger man's voice.

"What?" Spencer said, jumping slightly as Hotch's bark reverberated in the otherwise quiet office.

"You were right," Hotch stated, his voice low and sincere as his eyes bored into the light eyes of his lover.

"Huh?" Spencer grunted dumbly, unprepared for that admission.

"I am a coward," Hotch confirmed quietly, his gaze unwavering as he focused on Spencer. His Spencer. His Spencer who had spoken the truth to him even though he had been too stubborn to accept it.

That was…until now.

Closing his eyes for second as Aaron's bleak confession washed over him, he shook his head. "No, you're not. You might be scared. You might even be terrified. But the only way you're a coward is if you walk away from what we have between us." Opening his eyes, he stared at the man sitting across from him. "Or is that what you're doing?"

"No," Hotch said involuntarily, astonished how easily that negation fell off his lips.

"No?" Reid repeated, a relieved breath escaping his lips with the word.

Shaking his dark head, Hotch whispered, "No. I don't want to walk away. And I don't want you to walk away from me, either."

"Then what do you want, Aaron?" Reid asked forlornly, his hands rising and falling uselessly at his side. "Because I tried to tell you what I wanted this morning and that didn't go over very well. All the research I've done says direct and honest is the best approach when trying to tell someone how you feel, but it seemed to backfire for me. So, why don't you just tell me instead of vice versa?"

Seeing the confusion shining openly in Reid's gaze, Hotch cringed. Clearing his throat, Aaron nodded. "Direct and honest is the best hope between two emotionally healthy people, Spencer. The problem is that neither of us exactly qualifies for that description."

"True," Reid agreed with a short bob of his head. "But is me loving you such an inconvenient, insurmountable truth? Is wanting to hear it in return such a deal breaker?"

"Of course not," Hotch denied, softening his tone as the other man simply stared at him. Lifting his head, Aaron watched the clock ticking on the wall as he searched for words that would explain his predicament. Licking his lips, he forced his eyes back to Spencer's. "I'm not good at this part, Spencer," he said, his voice low.

"What part?" Reid queried.

"The...feelings part. I think women refer to it as "emotionally stunted"."

"Aaron, that's ridiculous. There isn't anything stunted about you," Reid declared, rejecting his explanation adamantly.

"Really?" Hotch snorted derisively, one eyebrow arching. "Too bad Haley can be here to refute that for me. She always had excellent arguments."

"I'm not your late ex-wife," Reid bit out, stiffening. "Please don't compare me to her," he requested tightly.

"I'm not," Hotch replied immediately. "Or, at least not in the way you think I am. Reid, I have a knack for destroying those that I love and have loved me."

"You didn't ruin your marriage, Aaron," Spencer reminded the older man firmly, his fist clenching at his side as he remembered the horror that was his lover's wife. "Haley walked out on you."

"Because I couldn't be the open man she wanted me to be," Hotch defended her dutifully. "She tried, Spencer. I didn't," he whispered.

"As I remember it, she wanted to change you. She refused to accept you for the man that you are. That was her loss, Aaron. I don't intend to make the same mistakes that she did. But I can't stop loving you, and I can't stop wishing you loved me in return. I know what I agreed to when this relationship began, but I never expected to fall in love. I didn't do it on purpose."

"Neither did I," Hotch returned, almost inaudibly.

"Wh-what?" Reid faltered, uncertain whether he'd heard what he thought he'd heard.

Inhaling deeply, Hotch replied, his voice louder this time, "I said, neither did I."

Blinking rapidly, Reid struggled to accept the words Aaron was saying. "You love me?" he asked weakly.

"Of course I love you," Hotch growled, hating his own ineptitude. "Why do you think I stormed out this morning? Why do you think I wanted to murder Morgan a few minutes ago when I watched him make you laugh? Why do you think I've tried so damned hard to push you away?"

"I don't know." Reid shook his head rapidly, his eyes widening. "Tell me."

"Because I wanted to protect you. Loving you isn't the inconvenience here, Spencer. But having you love me? Everyone that has ever told me that they loved me aside from my son has ended up leaving me in one way or another. I've either chased them away or they ran...either way, I end up alone. And that part hurts like hell."

"Then it's not me you're trying to protect, Aaron," Spencer said quietly, taking a step forward. "It's you. Love...real love...isn't poisonous. Real love... it can exist in spite of the fear. You just have to have the courage to make a grab for it. And I don't think real love is supposed to be convenient, Aaron. It's good that it's inconvenient. Because then you have to fight for it. And once you've done that you can know how valuable it really is in its purest form," he argued passionately, his cheeks flushing as he warmed to his topic.

"You realize how very unscientific that sounds?" Hotch asked with a faint smile, shaking his head at the contradiction before him….the contradiction that he loved.

"Screw science. Screw convenience. Screw...-"

"Spencer?" Hotch interrupted, his eyes glimmering as he rose from his chair.

"What?" Reid muttered as moved to stand in front of you.

"You win," Hotch whispered, cupping the younger man's cheek with a warm palm.

"Wrong answer, Aaron," Spencer denied, taking a half step closer. "We won," he whispered as their lips met for a gentle kiss.

And that's how an inconvenient truth led to a lifetime of happiness.

_**Finis**_


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